CDM+ is a church management software built for congregations that need membership tracking, contributions, attendance, and financial management in one place. I'd consider it if your church has outgrown simpler tools and needs built-in accounting rather than piecing it together through third-party integrations. If you're weighing CDM+ against Planning Center, the built-in accounting module is where CDM+ pulls ahead—your ministry data and your books live in the same system, which matters a lot once your congregation and budget grow past a certain point.
CDM+ Evaluation Summary
- From $50/month
- Free demo available
Why Trust Our Software Reviews
We’ve been testing and reviewing church management software since 2020. As church leaders ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.
We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested many tools for different church management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our software review methodology.
Is CDM+ Right For Your Needs?
Who Would Be a Good Fit for CDM+?
Medium to large churches will find CDM+ a great fit because of its comprehensive data management capabilities. If your church needs detailed tracking of attendance, contributions, and membership, CDM+ offers robust tools to handle these tasks efficiently. Its reporting features provide insights that help you make informed decisions. Churches with dedicated administrative teams will appreciate the support and detailed functionalities that CDM+ provides.
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Medium Churches
CDM+ excels in managing detailed member information and financial records, making it ideal for medium-sized congregations.
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Large Churches
With its powerful reporting tools, CDM+ is perfect for large churches that need to analyze complex data and trends.
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Church Administrators
If your role involves tracking attendance and contributions, CDM+ offers specialized features to simplify your work.
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Financial Teams
CDM+ provides detailed financial management tools that help your team handle church finances with accuracy.
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Membership Coordinators
For those managing memberships, CDM+ offers comprehensive tracking and reporting features to meet your needs.
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Religious Organizations
Organizations beyond traditional churches can use CDM+ to manage events, donations, and member data efficiently.
Who Would Be a Bad Fit for CDM+?
Small churches or those with limited budgets might not find CDM+ suitable due to its complexity and cost. If your team lacks dedicated administrative staff or tech-savvy members, the learning curve of CDM+ can be challenging. Additionally, organizations needing only basic features might find CDM+ too robust for their needs, as it offers more than what simple setups require.
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Small Churches
CDM+ might be overkill for small congregations that don't need extensive data management or reporting features.
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Non-Technical Teams
If your team isn't tech-savvy, navigating CDM+'s interface could be overwhelming and time-consuming.
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Limited Budgets
Churches with tight budgets might find CDM+'s pricing doesn't align with their financial constraints.
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Basic Needs
Organizations looking for basic management features may not need CDM+'s comprehensive capabilities.
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Temporary Events
For short-term events or initiatives, CDM+ might be unnecessarily complex and costly.
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Volunteer-Led Churches
Volunteer-run churches may struggle with CDM+'s setup and maintenance without dedicated staff.
How We Test & Score Tools
We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.
Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.
Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)
The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.
Standout Features (25% of final scoring)
Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.
We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.
Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)
We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.
Onboarding (10% of final scoring)
We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.
Customer Support (10% of final scoring)
We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.
Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)
Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.
Value for Money (10% of final scoring)
Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.
Core Features
Membership Management:
This feature helps you track and organize member information, including contact details and attendance. You can easily update records and generate reports to understand your congregation better.
Contributions Tracking:
Record and manage donations efficiently with this tool. It allows you to generate giving statements and analyze donation trends, aiding in financial planning.
Event Management:
Plan and coordinate church events with ease. This feature helps you schedule, manage registrations, and communicate with attendees effectively.
Attendance Tracking:
Monitor and record attendance for services and events. You can view trends over time and identify engagement levels within your community.
Financial Management:
Handle your church's finances with tools for budgeting, accounting, and reporting. It streamlines your financial operations, ensuring accuracy and accountability.
Reporting Tools:
Generate detailed reports on various aspects of church operations. These insights help you make informed decisions and improve your ministry activities.
Standout Features
Customizable Dashboards:
Tailor your dashboard to display the information most relevant to your church's needs. This feature allows you to prioritize data that supports your decision-making.
Advanced Reporting:
Dive deep into data with sophisticated reporting capabilities. You get valuable insights into member engagement and financial health, setting CDM+ apart from simpler solutions.
Ease of Use
CDM+ offers a comprehensive feature set, but it can feel overwhelming initially. The interface requires some getting used to, especially for non-technical teams. However, once you familiarize yourself with its functionalities, managing your church operations becomes efficient. The customization options and detailed reporting tools add value, but they also contribute to the learning curve. If your team invests time in exploring its capabilities, CDM+ can significantly enhance your administrative tasks.
Onboarding
CDM+ offers a structured onboarding process, but it may take time to fully grasp its functionalities. The provided resources, like tutorials and customer support, are helpful in guiding your team through the setup. However, the depth of features means you'll need to dedicate time to training. Users often appreciate the support team's responsiveness, which eases the transition. With patience and support, your team can effectively integrate CDM+ into your church's operations.
Customer Support
CDM+ provides reliable customer support that users find reassuring. The support team's responsiveness stands out, helping you resolve issues quickly. Whether you need guidance during onboarding or troubleshooting, their assistance is generally prompt and effective. Users appreciate the available resources, such as tutorials and FAQs, which complement the direct support. This focus on user assistance ensures that your team feels supported throughout their experience with CDM+.
Value for Money
CDM+ delivers solid value with flexible pricing options tailored to churches of different sizes and needs. Its modular structure allows you to pay for only what you need, while still gaining access to robust features like fund accounting, online giving, and payroll. The platform is especially valuable for churches ready to scale their management tools as they grow.
- Grow ($50/mo): Includes 3 core programs with limited records—ideal for smaller churches.
- Choice ($50–$150/mo): Pick 1–5 programs with unlimited records for a customized setup.
- Complete ($175/mo): Full access to all programs, unlimited users, and unlimited records.
CDM+ Specs
- API
- Calendar Management
- Contact Management
- Dashboards
- Data Export
- Data Import
- Document Management
- External Integrations
- Multi-User
- Notifications
- Payment Gateway Integration
- Scheduling
- Workflow Management
CDM+ FAQs
How does CDM+ handle data security and compliance?
Can CDM+ support our church's growth?
What kind of training resources are available for CDM+?
How customizable is CDM+ for our specific needs?
Is CDM+ accessible for remote teams?
How does CDM+ handle member communication?
Can we import existing data into CDM+?
What ongoing support does CDM+ provide?
CDM+ Company Overview & History
CDM+ is headquartered in the United States and specializes in management software for nonprofit and faith-based organizations. They offer solutions such as membership management, attendance tracking, contributions, fund accounting, and more. Known for its robust features and excellent tech support, CDM+ has a strong reputation in the nonprofit sector. The company prioritizes user support through training and resources, continually adapting to meet user needs.
CDM+ Major Milestones
- 1985: CDM+ was founded to cater to nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
- 2000: Expanded its offerings to include a comprehensive suite of management tools.
- 2005: Launched mobile access to enhance user convenience and flexibility.
- 2010: Introduced online services for giving and registration to support digital transformation.
- 2020: Hosted the 25th Annual CDM+ Users Conference, highlighting its commitment to user engagement and training.
- 2023: Released CDM+ Essentials, a fundraising and donor management application, to enhance donor engagement.
What's Next?
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